Mt.Wudang is located in the Qinling Mountain in central China and is the eastward offset of the Daba mountain ranges. To the east, it connects with the Jianghan Plain and to the south. It lies back on the Shennongjia Forest Zone. In the northeast, there locates the Nanyang Basin and the Hanshui River flows from the northwest to the southeast. In the historical records, it is said that Mt.Wudang lies in the crossing area of Shanxi and Henan. Erecting from the earth till the heaven, the mountain is pressed by the Minshan Moutain on the left and surrounded by the Yangtze River in the south and the Hanshui River in the north. Mt. Wudang enjoys a fairly good geological situation.

        800 million years ago, Mt.Wudang raised from the ocean due to the movement of the geological structure. With the rising and falling of terrain, the mountain ranges of Wudang gradually formed into a shape of pyramid, with a peak erecting in the center and group peaks surrounding around. And a magnificent scene of 72 peaks respecting the grand peak was formed. In the scenic area, three faults were formed. In the mountain, there are profound river valleys and brooks running lengthwise and sidewise. And the Jianhe River, the Donghe River and the Jiudao River meander through the mountain.

        The natural scenery of Mt.Wudang was in conformity with the feudal ethical ideas and thoughts, which made the external beauty and the internal implication charm unite together in the same mountain. It also brought out the concept that the aesthetic judgement should be connected to the social factors of politics, religion and so on, further constituting the comprehensiveness of the beauty of Mt.Wudang.

        Mt. Wudang is located in the subtropical zone with a monsoon climate, and the climate has an attribute of a north-to-south transition. From the Danjiangkou reservoir area to the Peak of Heaven Pillar, the vertical belt of the climates. The region is moist and rich in rain and the annual rainy-day is around. And a maginificent scenic area, three faults were formed. In the mountain, there are profound river valleys and brooks running lengthwise and sidewise. And the Jianhe River, the Donghe River and the Jiudao River meander through the mountain.

        The natural scenery of Mt.Wudang was in conformity with the feudal ethical ideas and thoughts, which made the external beauty and the internal implication charm unite together in the same mountain. It also brought out the concept that the aesthetic judgement should connected to the social factors of politics, religion and so on, further constituting the comprehensiveness of the beauty of Mt.Wudang.

        Mt.Wudang is located in the subtropical zone with a monsoon climate, and the climate has an attribute of a north-to-south transition. From the Danjiangkou reservoir area to the Peak of Heaven Pillar, the vertical belt of the climate is quite obvious, accompanied by abundant and diverse minor local climates. The region is moist and rich in rain and the annual rainy-day is around 110, which is very suitable for the growth of plants of both the south and the north, in the Diary on Travelling in Mt. Taihe by Xu Xiake of the Ming Dynasty, it recorded "Arbors are found everywhere in the mountain. While in the mountain, people feel like waling under a green tent. What people see within a circumstance of 100 li are always towering trees, blotting out the sunshine. In the area close to the mountain, unusual firs and old cypresses which can only be held by three people hand in hand often catch people's sight." 453 over a -hundred-year-old trees of 46 species in 24 families and 33 genera have been found in investigations, 101 of which are ancient trees of an age of over 300 years.

        Since ancient time, Mt.Wudang has been a good place for wild animals to dwell and multiply. According to annals of the mountain made in the Ming Dynasty, wild animals that were often found in the area included tiger, leopard, bear, wolf, deer, wild boar, goat, antelope, monkey, pangolin, boa, snake, tortoise, soft-shelled turtle, red-crested crane, golden pheasant, thrush, magpie and so on. But with the decreases every year. Recent year's investigation shows that currently, there are 49 species of beasts, 11 of which are the state protected rare animals, 130 species of birds, 65 species of fishes and 1055 species of insects in 213 families and 28 orders. Mt. Wudang is also fairly abundant in the medical plants. According to the general survey in 1985, there were 617 kinds of medical materials in the whole mountain. Li Shenzhen, a famous medicine scientist in the Ming Dynasty, especially went to Mt.Wudang to gather medical herbs and 400 species were recorded in his Compendium of Medical Materials. The Taoist priests of Mt.Wudang have been fully utilizing the plant resources and giving a full play to the special functions of the medical plants, especially Langmei fruit.

        Legendary has it that the Langmei fruit was brought out by the God of the North while training and cultivating himself to attain immortality. In the General Collection of Mt.Wudang-a Place of Perfect Happiness, it said, "while grinding the needle, Emperor Xuandi plucked a spray of plum blossom and inserted it into the wood, swearing ' If my cultivation to immortality succeeds, you should fruit'. In the Yongle 3 rd (1405 ) and 4 th (1406) years of the Ming Dynasty, Li Suxi, a Taoist priest of Mt.Wudang twice sent people to deliver Langmei fruits to Nanjing to Zhu Di, the newly-enthroned Emperor Chengzu of the Ming Dynasty, declaring that the country was in peace. Symbolizing the success of Zhen Wu, the God of the North, in attaining perfection in Taoism in the South, the fruits psychologically coincided with Zhu Di's personal experiences of dispatching troops in the north and quelling rebellion in the south. Naturally, the emperor was quite fond of the fruits and sent imperial envoys to award Li Suxi for several times. And Langmei fruit was listed as tribute and was bestowed to courtiers to taste. From then on, Zhu Di began to pay attention to Mt. Wudang. In the Yongle 7 th year (1409), Zhu Di called in Taoist priest Jiang Zhongyang from Mt.Wudang at court and inquired details about Emperor Xuandi's cultivation to attain immortality in the mountain, which finally helped bring about Emperor Yongle's decision to rebuilt Mt.Wudang. In the Yongle 10 th year (1412), Zhu Di issued an imperial decree to Zhang Yuqing of the Taoist Zhengyi Sect, which said, "There are two reasons for me to construct temples and palaces on Mt.Wudang. the first is to sing songs for the souls of the late emperors and empresses in heaven. The second is to pray for good fortunes for my people. Mt.Wudang is rich in the Langmei fruit and Taoist priests from the mountain have presented the fruits to me, which I shared with the imperial officers at court. Now, I especially send people to deliver you 100 Langmei fruits. You accept them with the imperial decree." Langmei grew quite extensively in the Ming Dynasty. Langmei trees were found by Xu Xiake, a famous geological scientist, on his way from the South Crag to the Middle Temple. "In the dense green, the mountain is dotted by the Langmei flowers, shining far and near." (Travels of Xu Xiake's Diary on Travelling in Mt.Wudang) after the downfall of the Ming Dynasty, langmei became extinct. In the Qing Dynasty, jia Duben from Junzhou especially paid tours to Mt.Wudang to search for langmei, but failed. Opinions were widely divided on the issue of the mystery of langmei, which left the mountain with an element of mystery and wonder. Recently, a sholar proved after research that the langmei fruit is the wild Yangtao. The new research shifted the Chinese history of eating and planting Yangtao. The new research shifted the Chinese history of eating and planting Yangtao that is reagarded as the king of the fruits to an earlier date by 500 years.(see the Jiahan Archeological Studies, 4 th issue of 1996, investigations on the Rare langmei fruit in Mt.Wudang)

        In addition to langmei , Mt.Wudang presented other tributes to the emperors of the Ming Dynasty twice every year, respectively in spring and fall. In spring, the tributes included salt-dried bamboo roots and varied good quality tea. And the tributes in fall were sealwort steamed with honey, steamed and dried sealwort and Langmei fried with honey.

        The extraordinary charm of the natural mountain and water and the plentiful forest resources are the source of great attraction. When drifting clouds and floating mist slowly rise from the tranquil valley, when refreshing breeze with the fragrance of flowers gently blows over the limpid brook, tourists can not help themselves with the sequence of being recognized and discovered, it experienced several stages finding the beauty of Mt.Wudang. during the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, because of its elegant outline, the Censer Peak of Mt.Wudang drew people's earliest aesthetic interest and received exploitation. In the Tang Dynasty, Yao Jian succeede in praying for rain at the Five Dragons Palace. Since then, people shifted their aesthetic interest to the Five Dragons area. And Lu Dongbin wrote a poem entitled "Ode to the South Crag of Mt.Wudang", which exactly depicts the scenery of the Five Dragons area. And Lu Dongbin wrote a poem entitled "Ode to the South Crag of Mt.Wudang", which exactly depicts the scenery of the Five Dragons area. In the Song Dynasty, the center moved eastward to the Purple Heaven Peak near the Censer Peak. Emperors of the Northern Song Dynasty believed in Emperor Zhen Wu. Especially because of an illusory dream, emperors Huizong invited a fengshui specialist who confirmed that the purple Heaven Peak was the hub of the unbeatable rival to fire. The Purple Heaven Grand Palace was then constructed to worship Emperor Zhen Wu. During the Yuan Dynasty, people's aesthetic center moved upwards. In the Zhida 3 rd (1310), responding to the imperial decree, Zhang Shouqing in charge of the South Crag explained taoist scriptures to the express dowager. In the mean time, a grand sacrificial ceremony of gold Taoist amulet was held. In 1312 and 1313, the imperial decree, Zhang shouqing prayed for rain at the Cave of the Thunder God and conferred a title to Zhang Shouqing as True Man and also bestowed Zhang the right to take charge of affairs of the whole mountain. High officials and noble lords headed by the empress dowager successively donated money of their own to assist Zhang Shouqing to build the Long-live Palace. The South Crag became the most famous center of the religious activities in the Yuan Dynasty, Emperor Chengzu readjusted all the scenic spots on Mt.Wudang according to the course of Emperor Zhen Wu's training and cultivation to attain immortality. Based on the four stories of "Renouncing to family", "Attaining the Way after training and cultivation", "Title-conferring at the Jade Platform" and "Commanding land under heaven", the scenic spots were arranged from the Jingle Palace to the Golden Zenith. After the readjustment, each of the scenic spots on Mt.Wudang not only kept the inherent cultural atmosphere, but also exerted a feature of integrity. According to the presently existing scenic spots, the scenic area within 312 square kilometers are divided into six sections: the Xuanyue Gate, the Crown Prince Slope, the South Crag, the Golden Zenith, the Jade Platform and the Five Dragons.

        Close to the Danjiangkou reservoir, the Xuanyue Gate scenic area is located in the northeastern foot of Mt.Wudang. Its main scenic spots include the Chongxu Convent, the Xuanyue Gate, the Yuzhen Palace, the Xiangfu Convent, the Yuanhe Temple, the Temple of Mt.Tai, the Yuxu Palace and so on. The distance from top to bottom is six kilometers, about 200 meters above sea level. The main historical relics in the area embrace the Country-administering Mountain Memorial Gateway built under the decree of Emperor Jiajing of the Ming Dynasty, the beautiful Danjiangkou reservoir by the Xuanyue Gate, the sit for Zhang Sanfeng to create Wudang Boxing in the Yuzhen Palace on Mt.Wudang. advancing by ship from the Danjiangkou dam, tourists see the rippling water of the lake. The small islands in the lake look like bright pearls inlaid in the blue sky, shinning brilliantly. Dotted by fish and birds, the lake presents a poetic charm to tourists. But just under the undulating water of the artificial lake, there are several hundred palaces and temples. The jingle Palace and the Ying' en Palace, two of the eight palaces on Mt.Wudang, were inundated by the boundless water.

        The Jingle palace was one of the largest palace buildings on Mt.Wudang. it was built in the Yongle 16 th year of the Ming Dynasty(1418) and reconstructed in the jiajing 31 st year of the Ming Dynasties (1552). The Jingle Palace was built based on the legend that the crown prince was born in the jingle Kingdom. In the Annals of the Grand Mountain Taihe by Wang You of the Ming Dynasty, it said, "Legendary has it that the father of Emperor Zhen Wu was the king of the Jingle Kingdom. Hence , there comes the name of the palace." The Jingle Palace originally occupied an area of nearly 100,000 square meters, and there were over 500 Taoist rooms in three lines, which looked very spectacular. It was submerged in 1985 because of the construction of the Danjiangkou reservoir.

        Getting off the ship at the Caodian Wharf, people see the Xuanyue in their faces, which is the symbolic building of entering Mt.Wudang. the stone memorial gateway of four pillars and five stories was constructed in the Jiajing 31 st year of the Ming Dynasty. Inscribed on the gateway are characters of "Country-administering Mountain" in accordance with Emperor Jiajing's handwriting. The inscription marked the supreme political position of Mt.Wudang. During the Ming Dynasty, the Guardian Hall was built in front of the Xuanyue Gate, in which the statue of the Taoism-guarding-god was consecrated. While facing the idol with and worship with reverence and awe. There thus comes a kind of saying that "Entering the Xuanyue Gate, you give your fate to gods. Out of the Xuanyue Gate, you return to be a human".

        To the north of Xuanyue Gate, there is the Chongxu Convent, which is also called the Golden-flower Tree. In front of the convent, there is an ancient cypress of an age above 1,000 years. Legendary has it that the True Man of the Chongxu once came here and the ancient cypress blossomed with golden flowers on the whole tree. The descendants then built the convent for consecration.

        Passing the Xuanyue Gate, people see the Yuzhen Palace built in the Yongle 10 th year of the Ming Dynasty. The legendary Taoist priest Zhang Sanfeng once stayed here, so it is also called Meeting-immortal Hall. Because Zhang Sanfeng was the founder of Wudang boxing, the palace is adored by heroes in the martial arts circles.

        Walking towards the south from the Yuzhen Palace, people see the Yuanhe Temple, which was constructed in the Yongle 11 th year (1413). The so called Yuanhe referred to the body fluid produced while Taoists were cultivating internal body. There are nearly 100 halls of different sizes in the Yuanhe Temple. Consecrated in the grand hall are six gilded bronze sculptures of the six marshals and the Jade Emperor, which are all very precious relics. It's said that the temple used to be the Taoist prison, where the Taoist priests who violated the Taoist rules and regulations received punishment. Tourists here can have a look at varied ancient corporal punishments including incense kneeling, flogging and eyebrow branding.

        Four kilometers away from the Yuanhe Temple, there is the Yuxu Palace, which was built in the Yongle 11 th year(1413). When Emperor Chengzu threw great money and endeavors into constructing Mt.Wudang, the place was set up as the supreme headquarters, hence the palace is also called the Palace of Ancient Headquarters. The Yuxu Palace occupies an area of over 800,000 square meters. The gods section on the middle axis was originally made up of the Outer Wall, the Forbidden City and the Inner Wall, among which stone bridges, temple gates, the Dragon and Tiger Hall, the Shifang Hall, the Qishen Hall, the Grand Hall and the Parent Hall were arranged. Palace and temple halls were built ring upon ring in the Eastern and Western Side Palaces. The Jade Belt River winds through the Forbidden City, presenting a magnificent scene. In the Song for Mt.Wudang by Wang Shi zhen of the Ming Dynasty, it praised, "The buildings on Mt.Taihe make the mountain turn into a town and the Yuxu Palace reminds people of the Epang Palace of the Qin Dynasty", fully depicting the gigantic scale. Because the Handan Railway passes through the Outer Wall of the Yuxu Palace, there now only exist the Forbidden City and the Inner Wall in the palace. Inside and outside the Forbidden City, there are four pavilions housing imperial tablets. The two in font were built in the Jiajing 31 st year(1552). The imperial decree of Emperor Shizong of the Ming Dynasty and the records of re-building Mt.Wudang were inscribed on the stelae on great stone tortoises. The following two pavilions were built in the Yongle 11 th year of the Ming Dynasty. Enshrine and worshiped here are the imperial decree of Emperor Chengzu of the Ming Dynasty and the records for the Taoist palaces on Mt.Taihe. symbolizing the prosperity of Mt.Wudang, the tortoises here stand for the God of Water, meaning that water is the unbeatable rival of fire and the two get along with each other. With an elevation of 400 to 500 meters, the scenic spots area of the Crown Prince Slope is 15 kilometers in length, from the Peak of the Jade Emperor to the Yuxu Crag. The main tourist sight spots include the Huilong Temple, the Sword River Bridge, the Yuxu Crag and so on. The feature of this scenic area is that the terrain of the mountain integrates with the buildings as a whole. And all the sight spots are arranged in accordance with the story of Emperor Zhen Wu's first practice. The Crown Prince Slope was the site where Zhen Wu practiced Taoism. With the towering lion Crag behind and the steep waterfall in front, the slope enjoys an elegant environment. According to legendary, Zhen Wu suffered a lot from homesickness at the early stage of his practice and then went down the mountain. When he walked to the Needle-grinding Well. Zhen Wu saw an old lady transformed by Beginner Ziqi trying to grind an iron rod into a needle. Quite confused by her deed, Zhen Wu went on walking forwards. While reaching the Huilong Palace, he was suddenly enlightened by the truth that constant effort yields sure success. So he returned to the Fuzhen Temple and continued his practice.

        Mounting the Slope of Brave Man, people come to the Peak of the Jade Emperor. Passing the Huilong Temple and the Huixin Convent, tourists see the Needle-grinding Well in their face, whose Taoist name is the Chunyang palace. Built in the Xianfeng 3 rd year of the Qing Dynasty, the palace covers an area of almost 1,000 square meters, with over 50 Taoist rooms. The palace is composed of the Sanaing Hall, the Old Lady Pavilion, the ancient well and Taoist yards. In front of the sanqing Hall, there stand two thick iron rods with a diameter equaling to that of a bowl. The iron rods symbolize the hardship of the old lady grinding an iron rod into a needle, which also indicate the difficulties in Taoist cultivation. There are murals in the hall, vividly portraying the cultivation of Zhen Wu, An iron sculpture of the old lady is erected in the Old Lady Pavilion, and an ancient well is under the shrine. Walking along the Needle-grinding Well towards the south, tourists pass the Guandi Temple, the Laojun Temple the Fuzhen Bridge, and then come to the Crown Prince Slope, one of the most famous sight spots on Mt.Wudang where the crown prince carried out his first practice. Constructed in the Yongle 10 th year of the Ming Dynasty, the buildings on the Crown Prince Slope are in conformity with the terrain of the mountain. The elaborate design makes the slope enjoy a fame of "zigzag walls, fragrance of the sweet-scented osmanthus spreading ten li, four gates in one li and one pillar with 12 beams on ". mounting the stairs after entering the temple gate of the Crown Prince Slope, people see the Second Gate, in which there is a closed yard. Built in the yard are the grand hall and the eastern and western side houses. In the yard, there is an ancient pool called the Tear-dripping Pool. Legendary has it that Empress Shanhou-the mother of the crown prince once came here to look for her son, but the crown prince once came here to look for her son, but the crown prince avoided meeting the empress. The empress was deeply grieved and her dripping tears formed a pool. To the north of the grand hall, there is another yard, in which the Classics-collecting Pavilion, the Imperial Classics Hall and the Wuyun Building were established. A sweet-scented osmanthus of an age over 500 years grows in front of the imperial Classics Hall and its fragrance can spread 10 li. The Wuyun Building has five stories, and the pillar at the corner enjoys a fame of "one pillar with twelve beams", which is quite worth viewing.

        Going down from the Forth Gate of the Crown Prince Slope, tourists see the Eighteen Coli Bends and the Jiudu Ravine is five li away. Legendary has it that Empress Shanhou chased the crown prince to the site and saw in the distance the prince for eighteen times, each call with a step, asking the prince to go back to succeed to the throne. The crown prince never looked back, but answered his mother's calls eighteen times with eighteen steps. People of the later generations times with eighteen coil bends on the way up and eighteen coil bends on the way down. There is another legendary that the King of the Jingle Kingdom once sent 500 imperial guards and chased the crown prince to the place. The prince found no place to hide. He wielded a sword to split the mountain, and then a surging river separated the prince from the imperial guards. In the Yongle 11 th year, a stone bridge was built over the Sword River and is called the Tianjin Bridge.

        Going against the current from the Taijin Bridge, tourists reach the Yuxu Crag. Located on the cliff by the Jiudu Ravine, the Yuxu Crag is one of the most perilous rock temples on Mt.Wudang. with the maximum of 20 meters and the minimum of 0.5 meter in width, the Yuxu Crag was constructed with the temple gate, dinning hall, Taoist courts and the grand hall. Kept in the temple are clay sculptures of thunder gods, which are regarded as the treasures of the sculptures in Mt.Wudang for their vivid shapes.

        The main sight spots in the South Crag scenic area are the Weilie Temple, the Purple Heaven Palace, the Crown Prince Crag, the South Crag Palace, the Taichang Temple, the Thunder God Temple and the Langmei Temple, all with an elevation of 700 to 1,000 meters. The scenic area provides the tourists with quit unique natural scenery, such as the towering Three-man Peak and Five-aged Peak, the dignified Censer Peak, the green Treasured Pearl Peak, the perilous South Crag, the tall and straight Ascending Crag and other artificial sight spots established in accordance with the fairy tale about the crown prince's cultivation and ascending to heaven.

        Mounting the eighteen Coil Bends and walking up along the stairs, people reach the immortal pass where cliffs stand on both sides. Dotted among the mountains are the Temple for the Fortune God, the Weilie Temple and the Western Heaven Gate. Between the big and the small Treasured Pearl Peaks, there locates a grand and magnificent palace---the famous Purple Heaven Palace. The Purple Heaven Palace was originally constructed during Xuanhe period (1120-1125) in the Northern Song Dynasty. Emperor Huizong dreamed that the God of Fire traveled to the south and then made the palace built here to worship. The palace was reconstructed in the Yongle 10 th year of the Ming Dynasty and was conferred with a title of the Taixuan Purple Heaven Palace. It is said that the title had relationship with Zhen Wu. One of his titles was Taixuan Marshal. The Purple Heaven Palace was the second place for Zhen Wu's cultivation.

        The site selection and the architectural pattern of the Purple Heaven palace were completely carried out according to the Chinese ancient theories on fengshui. With mountain behind and water in front, the building sits in north and faces the south. It lies on the Banner Peak on left and right. The Yuji pool in front of the palace looks just like a golden basin collecting money and treasures. The Golden Water River traverses the big and the small Treasured Pearl Peaks like a silver thread stringing pearls. The peaks of Screen, Three-man, Five-aged, Candle and Censer on the opposite side of the ravine provide a natural screen for the palace. All of Renzong of the Yuan Dynasty once bestowed a title to the palace as "the Fortunate Place of Purple Heaven".

        All the buildings of the Purple Heaven Palace were constructed on a terrace, occupying an area of about 100,000 square meters. On the middle axis, there are the Yuji Bridge, the Dragon and Tiger Hall, the Imperial Tablet Pavilion, the Silk Burner, the Shifang Hall, the east and west Taoist courts, the grand hall, the left and right wings, the Parent Hall and other buildings. The Eastern and the Western palaces were also built. The grand hall is located on the three-storied high platform. The upper eaves of the hall were carved into flying dragon and the lower ones were carved into colorful phoenix, all in majestic splendor. Worshiped on the shrine in the center of the hall are the colorful sculpture of the Jade Emperor and the gilded bronze idol of Zhen Wu, with Golden Boy and Jade Girl on both sides. Under the shrine, there are sculptures of other gods, all in vivid shapes and different miens. In the western area of the hall, there is a flying fir, which can transmit sound. If people slightly knock on one end of the fir, they will hear clear sound at the other end. Also in the hall, there are lantern of Iron Tree in Blossom, the gilded bronze grand lantern, the incense vase and other Taoist sacrificial vessels and instruments, which are all fairly precious historical relics.

        The Parent Hall is behind the grand hall. Parents of Emperor Zhen Wu (Emperor Mingzhen and Empress Shansheng of the Jingle Kingdom) are worshipped on the shrine in the centre of the Hall. And worshipped in the shrines on the left and right sides are the Goddess of Child-sending and the Goddess of Mercy.

        Going out of the Parent Hall and walking up along the left, people reach the Crown Prince Crag after passing the Purple Bamboo Forest. The Crown Prince Crag is a kind of cavern structure. A temple gate was built before it. The caverns is 10 meters high, 20 meters wide and 15 meters long. A stone hall was built in the cavern in the Zhizheng 27 th year of the Yuan Dynasty(1290). An idol of the crown prince was consecrated in it. Behind the hall is a well with a history over 1,000 years. The water tastes quite sweet. Around the crag, there are sight spots of the Yuqing Crag, the Taiqing Crag and the Black Dragon Cave.

        The South Crag is located above the Purple Heaven Palace. Lying in the biggest fault of Mt.Wudang, the South Crag has the most beautiful natural scenery in the mountain for its spectacular cliff, perilous peak and profound river valley. The sight sports of the South Crag are divided into two parts: the cliff scenic spots constructed in the Yanyou 1 st year of the Yuan Dynasty(1314) and the Yuanguang scenic spots built in the Yongle 11 th year of the Ming Dynasty(1413).

        Legendary has it that when Emperor Chengzu put into great efforts in construction on Mt. Wudang, the scene that Emperor Zhen Wu made his presence in the clouds and the phenomenon of lucky clouds of five colors appeared for several Yuanguang scenic spots in conformity with the mountain terrain, including the Southern Heaven Gate, the Small Heaven Gate, the Yuanguan Hall, the Nanxun pavilion, the Imperial Tablet Pavilion, the Dragon and Tiger Hall, wings, the grand hall and the dinning hall.

        Walking along the grand hall to the east and passing the zigzag stone road, people see a lofty cliff. Among ring upon ring of high platforms and layer upon layer of palaces, there are the Liangyi Hall, the Eight Diagrams Pavilion, the Classics collecting Pavilion, the Ancient Chess Pavilion, the Dragon Head Incense, the Tianyi Zhenqing Palace, the Crown-Prince-lying-on-dragon-bed, the Bell-tolling Pavilion etc.

        The Tianyi Zhenqing Palace is the biggest stone structure palace existing in Mt.Wudang, which was built by Zhang Shouqing, a famous Taoist priest of the Yuan Dynasty in the Yanyou 1 year with assistance from the imperial family. The whole palace was made of huge-sized stones. The heaviest stone component weighs over five tons. All the cumbersome components were totally fit together by manpower. It is not easy even on the level ground, let along launch the construction in a cave on the precipice. The construction of the stone palace manifests the wisdom, intelligence and supreme technical skills of the ancient Chinese craftsmen. Turning to the west at the grand hall and walking downwards, tourists see a peak rising abruptly, on which the Dressing Platform and the platform for Ascending to Heaven were built. Legendary has it that Zhen Wu succeeded in cultivation on the South Crag. One day, he came to the Dressing Platform. Beginner Ziqi transformed into a beauty, Zhen Wu dogged and the beauty could not stop in time but fell down the cliff. Just at the time, five dragons rose from the lucky clouds down the cliff and held him. Escorted by the five dragons, Zhen Wu ascended to heaven.

        The Golden Zenith scenic area is located on the Peak of Heaven Pillar. The main sight spots are the Yellow Dragon Cave, the Heaven-oriented Palace, the First, Second and Third Heaven Gates, the Taihe palace, the Forbidden City and the Golden Palace. With an elevation of 1,300 to 1,612meters, the area is regarded as the cream of Mt.Wudang. Mounting upward, people can enjoy the mystery of the heaven palace and the fairyland, and experience Emperor Zhen Wu's heroic spirit of commanding land under heaven. Looking downward, people can appreciate the heaven-oriented momentum of the 72 peaks. In the rising sun and the setting moon, people hear the gald tidings of the human world.

        The Yellow Dragon Cave lies on the precipice of the Purple-cover Peak, opposite to the Green Goat Peak across the and the Yellow Dragon Cave Pavilion was constructed on the road. Three wood-sculptured characters of "Yellow Dragon Cave" were hung in the paviion and a horizontal inscribed board with characters of "Renowned in the World" was also hung. The pavilion once was the place where Taoist priests sold eyes medicament. The way of sale was very strange. A quite long rope was hung down from the Yellow Dragon Cave and directly reached the pavilion. When pilgrims swayed the rope in the pavilion, a bamboo basket would slide down along the rope. Pilgrims put money in the basket and the basket then was pulled back to the cave. Taoist priests in the cave put the medicament in the basket would slide down along the rope. Pilgrims put money in the basket would slide down along the rope. Pilgrims put money in the basket and the basket then was pulled back to the cave. Taoist priests in the cave put the medicament in the basket according to the amount of the money and then sent it down. With the feature that the seller and the buyer could not see each other, the sales method not only was full of mystery, but also avoided many unnecessary contradictions. For its fairly good effectiveness, the medicament for the eyes enjoyed a fame of "being renowned in the world".

        Walking from the Yellow Dragon Cave and passing the Heaven-oriented Palace, the fist, second and Third Heaven the Yongle 14 th year(1416), comprising the Pilgrimage Hall, the Bell and Drum Tower, the Emperor Hall, the Imperial classics Hall, the God Kitchen, the dinning hall, the Zhenguan Hall, the Luck-changing Hall, the worshipping hall and the grand hall. Consecrated in the grand hall are Emperor Zhen Wu, the Golden Boy and the Jade Girl, and the eight Taoist Doctrine Protecting Gods. Two copper tablets were established in front of the hall, built in the Jiajing 31 st year (1552) and the Jiajing 39 th year (1560) respectively by Emperor Shizong of the Ming Dynasty. Both of the two tablets are quite precious historical relics. To the south of the Taihe Palace, there erects a peak looking like lotus and thus got the name of the Small lotus Peak. On the cliff of the Peak, there is an inscription of "Pillar propping up Heaven" in official script. In bold and vigorous strokes, it has been regarded as an art treasure of the Chinese calligraphy. Embedded beside the inscription are poems of "Mounting Mt.Wudang" by LiZongren and "Travelling in the Peak of Heaven Pillar" by Fang Zhenwu. On top of the peak, a palace was construced and an ancient copper hall was set up inside the palace. The ancient copper hall was built in the Dade 11 th year of the Yuan Dynasty (1307). It was originally laid on top of the Peak of Heaven Pillar. In the Yongle 14 th year, the Golden Palace was carried from the capital to the Peak of Heaven Pillar, and the ancient copper hall was moved to the Small Lotus peal. It is said that the move of the copper hall contained a meaning that one's luck turns in the fullness of time. Whenever tourists come to the site, they always walk around the copper hall for one circuit in an aim to pray for good luck. The ancient copper hall was cast in Wuchang with funds raised by believers from Henan and other places, and it is said to be the earliest copper hall of China with high research value.

        The Forbidden City was built around the Peak of Heaven Pillar. In the Yongle 17 th year of the Ming Dynasty(1419), Emperor Chengzu issued an imperial decree, which said "Wall around the Golden Palace in the Grand Mountain Taihe should be built. But the mountain itself needs no renovation. The height of the wall goes along with the height of the terrain. No matter what scale is adopted, the standard is that people can not get by the wall. The wall must be solid enough so as to maintain the same permanence as that of both the heaven and the earth." The Forbidden City was constructed with stones of 500 kilometers each in weight. Set up in the four directions were the Eastern, Southern, Western and Northern Gates, which look exactly like the Gate of Heaven and have great architectural value.

        Entering the Forbidden City through the Southern Heaven Gate, people soon some to the top of the Peak of Heaven Pillar, where the Golden Palace stands. Built on the left and right sides of the Golden Palace was set up in front of the moon platform. There tourists can not only divine by the Eight Diagrams, burn incense and make vows, but also appreciate kinds of unique marvelous spectacles of the Golden Zenith, such as the Inverted Image of the Golden Zenith, such as the Inverted Image of the Golden Palace, the Sea Horse Exhaling Mist, the God Pine Welcoming Guests and the Wudang Sunrise.

        With an elevation of 700 to 900 meters, the Five Dragons Palace scenic area is composed of the Huayang Crag, the Immortal Yi Crag, the Lingying Crag, the Lingxu Crag, the Renwei Temple, the Five Dragons Palace etc. the area was quite prosperous during the Tang Dynasty. With constant reconstruction at different time a lot of man-made sight spots have formed in the area. Because it is another immortal way up to the Golden Zenith, the names of many scenic spots in the area are similar to those of the Crown Prince scenic area, such as the Old Lady Temple at the Needle-grinding Ravine and the Reception Convent. Located at the cutting section of the fault, the area has picturesque scenery.

        The five Dragons Palace was firstly constructed during the Zhenguan period of the Tang Dynasty and was reconstructed in the Yongle 11 th year of the Ming Dynasty. There originally were nearly 1,000 buildings in the palace, including the temple gate, the Dragon and Tiger Hall, the imperial tablet pavilion, the grand hall, the Parent Hall, wings and the dinning hall. The palace was destroyed by fire in 1930, and there currently exist the Five Dragons Well, the Taoist Tower for Li Suxi, the classic-chanting platform.

        The five Dragons Wells are located in the palace yard. They got the name because five dragons once made their presence here. Legendary has it that the five wells were connected to one another. While drawing water in one well, people could find that water waved in the other four wells.

        The Taoist Tower for Li Suxi was set up in the Yongle 23 rd year of the Ming Dynasty. Taoism pursues to turn into immortal and ascend to heaven. No Taoist tower had ever been built. During the Yuan Dynasty, the Quanzhen Sect entered a period of prosperity, and Taoist towers began to be built. Li Suxi was a well-known Taoist priest during the early period of the Ming Dynasty. In the Yonggle 4 th and 5 th year, he twice sent people to deliver Langmei fruits and other tributes to the emperor and Li was conferred a title by the emperor as the Immortal of Langmei. Li Suxi passed away in the Yongle 19 th year (1421) at the age of 93. and in the Yongle 22 nd year (1424), the emperor issued an imperial decree to set up table and build a tower for him.

        Surrounded by mountains, the Five Dragons Palace provides tourists with quite enjoyable scenery. Scenic spots including the Huanyang Crag, the Immortal Yi Crag and the Lingying Crag were built in the mountain caverns. There scenic spots currently are being maintained and will be open to the public in the near future.

        With an elevation of 500 to 1,100 meters, the Jeweled Platform scenic area comprises the Laojun Hall, the Temple of the Eight Immortals, the Lower Temple, the Middle Temple and the Upper Temple. The main future of this area is that the Peak of Heaven Pillar erects among the connected mountains, looking like an emperor reverenced by the officials. The manmade buildings in the area were all established according to the fairy tale about Zhen Wu conferred title at the Jeweled Platform. Having been in lack of maintenance for a long time, the scenic area now is receving repair and exploitation. And presently roads and up-mountain-cableway have been built.